Solace
by Faith360
Summary: Oneshot. A strangely important fifteen-year-old girl named Alyce runs off into the woods for air, wondering if our ever-present Doctor will come to take her home: and he does.


**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Doctor Who or any related concepts, characters, places, things, and ideas. I do, however, own Alyce (which is pronounced just like 'Alice') and the plot.**

**Okay, so, I'm probably not the only one who likes the idea of having two doctors: one who can travel through space and time, and the other who has Rose and a human life (the whole point of this is trying to guess which Doctor she knows - see if you can figure it out).**

**I've been re-watching a lot of the series lately (plus watching the latest Christmas special and Planet of the Dead for the first time - definitely awesome) and I just started writing this. So, enjoy! (and if you don't, that's perfectly fine too - we can't all have the same opinions)**

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I sat in the forest - alone, naturally.

When have I ever been anything else?

I mentally berate myself for thinking such. I have never, truly, been alone, but it feels like it so, so very much. Too much to be reality.

But I sit here still - alone. Irreversibly. I've heard of time travel, oh so many times I've heard, but even the possibility of that did not make me want to change what I had done. True, I would have given almost anything not to have to had done it. I would rather have given up the satisfaction of my actions if only I hadn't been hurt.

I sighed quietly.

I'd never been this deep into the forest before. Not alone. I couldn't even tell where I was. When they found I was not in my normal spot near the house, my parents would start worrying. They'd look for me, naturally. I just wondered, even though I knew the answer, if _he_ would come after me. Like all those times before, I wondered if he would come - and then he would come. Right as soon as I wondered of him. He was prompt like that. Caring.

I heard the crunching of leaves behind me, the snapping of a twig. Not a loud enterance, but not exactly silent. He had arrived.

The Doctor.

Or John Smith - as the world knew him. I only used it, _knew _it, enough to say it automatically in public, to understand that it represented him. But, oh, how I _hated_ that name. With a fierce passion. It was far too normal for him. I mean, honestly: he was _extraordinary. _Brilliant.

My lips automatically curved upward on one side to make a lopsided smirk. I couldn't help smiling at the thought of his favorite word, even if it wasn't really a smile. It was tinted with darkness; but, it did contain just enough happiness for him to notice and smile half-heartedly himself. He stepped forward and sat down next to me, the two of us with our faded smiles in companionable silence.

After a little bit, the moment I dreaded came about. "So," He started, swinging his legs off the pathetic excuse for a hill we sat on. He looked at me then, and even though I wasn't looking back I knew his gaze was soft. His tone took on the same quiet concern. "What did they say to you?"

I wasn't crying. But I looked away anyway. No matter how much I trusted him, if there was a possibility of tears, I didn't want him to see. "They just told me the same things again." I shrugged, trying my best to look casual. Thank God my voice didn't break. "No friends, no life, not worth anything." I forced myself to shrug again, but my shoulders barely slumped. "Normal stuff."

"Normal...?" He let the question trail off. "But with a whole lot of cynicism?"

"Yeah." I replied blankly. "Cynics." Our silence took hold again, but it was strained. Not quite awkward, but still very tense. Unspoken words hung in the thick forest air.

"And what did you do?" He arched an eyebrow at me. I still didn't look at him.

"Well, I must have made a fist, because Tony grabbed my punching arm." My voice held bitterness, thicker than I'd ever heard in anyone's voice, masked or otherwise. Figures it would come from me.

"Please tell me you didn't use your left." He almost begged. But that would have been beneath him, whether he realized it or not. I didn't care. He wasn't arrogant. He was strong.

"And what would have been wrong with that?" My snappish tone only came about because of my reminder. He was strong. I was far from it. I sorely wished I could be like him. But no - I can't even hope for it.

He sighed. "How many times must you be told that violence is _never_ going to solve anything? These..._children_ they fight you with words. And that hurts enough. As much as I don't like you getting into fights, especially at school, I would have been much more comfortable with those kids walking away with only injured pride." I could tell he hadn't wanted to say it. But he knew he had to. It did it's job, cutting through me.

"So?" My hurt lashed out once again. "He's got to walk around with a black eye! Given to him by a _girl_." I almost spat the word. I didn't have a problem with girls, or being a girl, but the thought of myself made me sick.

He sighed, running his hand through his hair as he did all the time. It didn't take him long to continue. "And then what did you do?"

"I walked away. I didn't run. I _walked_. In fact, I almost _sauntered_ out of that building." I must have sounded proud of myself. But I was. "And then I ran out here into the deepest part of this...this stupid forest!" I was nearly screaming now. I kept looking away. If I had a chance of crying before, I definitely had one now.

"Speaking of which," He looked over to me, his face now stern. Hard. His voice was even and firm. "Alyce Jana: don't you _ever_ do that again." His words made me flinch. He was disappointed in me. He understood me, though, and sighed, his arm around my shoulders. "Everyone's been very worried about you. Including me." He made sure to emphasize this point. Of course, it was only natural that he cared, but it still made me feel better.

"I'm sorry." I shook my head, blinking back tears. "I didn't mean..." My voice went out on me. He squeezed my shoulder comfortingly and leaned me closer. I sighed, lying my head on his shoulder. "I try not to." His brow cocked, curious. He was always ready to listen. And after a few minutes of reassurance, I was ready to speak. "I try to avoid them. To avoid everyone, really. I guess that's what gets me. They always use it against me..."

"Oh, Alyce." He sighed, shaking his head briefly before looking down at me. "How many times have I told you not to listen to them?"

I gave a small choked laugh. "Too many for me not to have gotten it through my thick skull already."

"Aww, don't say that." His voice was sure as always. "You get it. You just...don't remember it when you need it."

I laughed. "Yeah, right. That's your way of saying I don't listen."

"You do." He assured me.

"Uh-huh."

"No, really, you do. You've always obeyed- of course, never really had to get onto you much." He looked down. "You were a good kid."

I buried my face a little in his trenchcoat. "I'm still a kid." My words were muffled.

"Oh, that's right." It was almost as if it dawned on him right then. "You're barely fifteen." The words were half muttered, as if he was whispering to himself.

"You don't think of me as a kid?"

"Well," He thought a moment. I looked up at him, curious. "Yes and no." I sat up, my brows narrowed. Just what did he mean by that? "I mean, some part of me will always see you as a child." I knew _that_. "But...well, you haven't been a _child_ since..." He trailed off. I looked down, as if finding the small blue pinstripes on his suit interesting. They were pretty odd. I liked them. "You were thirteen." He whispered. "I remember. You used to play. Imagine the greatest things...and then one day, you stopped." He looked at me, gaze even. "Why did you stop?"

"I dunno." I said quietly. "It was like one minute I was innocent, and the next morning I woke up and wanted something else. Like thirteen years of being a child was enough. I just suddenly wanted to do something...adult."

"You were always very mature for your age-" He paused, giving me a small smile. "Save for the occasional bout of violence." I even cracked a smile at that. "That's one of the reasons you're not a child. You're reliable, you're old enough to, and do, understand things that you couldn't before. You're stronger. You know when to walk away - even though you haven't quite mastered it yet. But you're still such a _kid_, Alyce. You're curious. Very, very curious. And no matter _what_ you say," He paused. "You are still very much innocent."

"Compared to you?" I couldn't resist myself.

"Like I said," He paused, a small grin appearing. "Curious."

I shook my head, smiling myself. He avoided that question. I didn't care. "And why, I ask, do you think I still have innocence?"

"You'll always have that." His grin widened. "You're mine."

I laughed, throwing my head back a bit. Our silence was brief, and more than companionable - it was perfect. I sighed, my eyes closed. I grinned. "I can hear the ocean from here."

"Yeah." He nodded. "There's a cliff," My eyes opened. "Right up there." He pointed. "You can see for miles - the endless ocean." His gaze switched to me, just casually suggesting; his brow raised once. I turned to him, my eyes probably glinting with the same excitement in his own at that very moment. "Well, then," He abruptly jumped up, wiping his hands on the sides of his coat and turning to me. I grinned; his exclamation had almost startled me, like always. "You like adventures," He held his hand out. "Shall we go?" His brow cocked, one of his signature broad grins threatening to spread across his face. I took his hand without hesitation. He pulled me up, the grin breaking at the sight of my own very similar one. "Then we go."

He turned and dashed. I stumbled forward, my hand slipping out of his own as he raced ahead of me. I jogged briskly to keep up, but after a moment I slowed to a walk, thinking in a sort of nonchalant way as he and I wandered. We did this all the time, he and I. Me and him, both of us: just us two. But I couldn't help but wonder: what had happened to the other him, lost in another dimension? He may have a life, but I knew he was truly lost. Was he lonely? My gaze flickered briefly ahead to my Doctor, wandering briskly ahead while whistling. Lucky - I've never been able to whistle. He got lonely a lot. Didn't really take that much...

I suddenly noticed he'd dropped back some; he was about half the distance ahead of me he had been. He never left me alone. Because he knew how easily I could feel alone. He and I had that in common. I was broken from my thoughts when he muttered something I couldn't hear. "What was that?"

"Oh, just musing." He turned around, stopping to wait for me. He gave me a lopsided smile. "I was just telling myself that I shouldn't have given you those Time Lord genes. You're far too lonely."

I smiled. Even the small insinuation that he loved me made me joyful.

"All right then!" He burst, causing me to jump slightly and laugh. "Onward, Miss Smith!" He went somewhat ahead of me again.

"Oy!" He turned around, cocking an eyebrow with his famous curiosity. I narrowed my eyes slightly, but I was still trying to keep my smile from showing. Being with him made me smile, but I had to be serious on this one point. I kept my expression stern, my tone had no room for negociation, and my hand on my hip with an eyebrow cocked. "Dad," I said firmly. "Do _not_ call me that."

He shrugged, a smile still on his face. He knew I loathed the name 'Smith', both for him and myself. And I certainly despised anyone named 'John'. "All right," He kicked some dirt up with those oddly marvelous red trainers. He looked up, grinning. "Alyce Smith." He took off towards the cliff, and I chased him through the forest.

_Our_ forest - Alyce and the Doctor, for all of time.

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**For those of you who didn't get it (and I'm aware that it is cryptic - that was my main fear in posting this), Alyce is the daughter of the half human Doctor and Rose. I give you Kudos for reaching the bottom, brave soul - Faith**


End file.
